As the number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat continues to rise, the state government is adopting multi-pronged strategies to contain the deadly virus.
More than 15 areas in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Bhavnagar have been put under cluster quarantine as part of the containment measures.
According to municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad Vijay Nehra, testing has been intensified in the Walled City area. Sanitization of the area where more than 29 lakh people reside is also on.
Though people have been asked to avoid going to the areas which are under cluster quarantine, those going in the Walled City are being checked by thermal temperature guns.
Principal secretary, health and family welfare, Jayanti Ravi corroborated what Nehra said while claiming that due to intensified testing the number of COVID-19 positive persons could increase. She, however, said that there is no need to fear as COVID-19 can be contained and people are treated.
The civic body has already stopped vehicular traffic on Nehru Bridge, one of the several bridges that link Walled City with the western part of Ahmedabad. A notification is already in place by which vehicles of those moving during the lockdown period will be confiscated.
In Surat, the focus in on Rander area that has reported 35 per cent cases in the city. Surat municipal commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani said that this is grave as the area constitutes only one per cent of the geographical area of the city.
In Surat, the civic body has started recovering fine from those who step out of homes without masks.
In Rajkot rural area, those under home quarantine have been asked to drop their vehicle keys in the village panchayats. According to an official from Rajkot, the villagers will be given the key back once their 14-day home quarantine period is over. Each of the persons under home quarantine have been given a diary and pen so that they can write down the names of the persons whom they met in the last few days. The official said that this would be handy for them in contact tracing should any person under home quarantine tests positive.
With seven more positive cases reported from Vadodara and Bhavnagar on Wednesday, the total number of COVID-19 positive persons in Gujarat has gone up to 186. There have been 16 deaths. Twenty-fiver persons have recovered and gone back home.
